CEDARBURG —
In the prolonged development of one city lot, a bridge, or rather a
creek, has been crossed.

A city parcel
on Highway 60 and Sheboygan Road has long been earmarked as a future
business park, but it couldn’t be developed until the city’s public
utilities were extended across Cedar Creek and several other
properties.

In 2007, the
city created a tax incremental financing district to attract
developments between the creek and the business park. However, a
lack of activity and a decrease in the property’s value led to the
TID’s dissolution in 2015, costing the city an estimated $337,000
with debt repayment,

interest and
administrative fees, according to City Administrator/Treasurer
Christy Mertes.

“TID 2 was
created in a way that a couple of parcels along Sheboygan Road to
the south of the TID had to develop before any work within the
district could take place,” City Planner Jon Censky said.

Now, city
officials are revisiting the park’s future as two new developments
come to the area.

“We’ve been
talking about this for years, but now there’s utilities getting
closer and closer to this business park,” said Council Member Jack
Arnett, who sits on the advisory Economic Development Board. The
board discussed the Highway 60 developments at the July 26 meeting.

In 2016,
construction began on the Glen at Cedar Creek subdivision that is
carrying the utilities across the creek, bringing with it a lift
station that is part of the sanitary sewer system and will serve
lands to the north and west of Cedarburg proper, according to Censky.

“The Glen at
Cedar Creek development was a critical step in getting those systems
across the creek,” Censky said.

Another proposal
from Duey Stroebel to develop 12 16-unit apartment buildings on his
property directly to the north of The Glen is making its way through
the city’s approval process. If approved, it would extend the
utilities to the southeast corner of Sheboygan Road.

“All the plans
are lining up here,” EDB Member Greg Zimmerschied said.

“Now it’s time
for councils and boards to take another look at promoting the park,”
Arnett said.

There is still a
ways to go before any development could begin at the business park.
Stroebel is scheduled to bring his proposal before the Aug. 7 Plan
Commission meeting with a request to amend the Land Use Plan and
rezone the parcel. If the commission approves his request, it will
still need to go before a public hearing and Common Council review
before he could move onto the next phase of the approval process and
begin construction. Once the sewers were extended to the edge of his
property line, another 20-acre property would need to be developed,
according to Censky.

“You’re looking
a couple of years down the road for sewer to be available for the
business park,” Censky said.

To the EDB, the
timing is right to get the word out to developers who may be looking
ahead. The board discussed some potential ideas for the park and
brainstormed several promotional approaches, including using press
releases or signage. But members noted that the board is an
idea-generator and is more limited than other branches, like the
city’s Community Development Authority that has the ability to issue
bonds and negotiate property. They decided to bring it to the Common
Council for further review.

“The council may
be able to give us some direction,” Economic Development Coordinator
Mary Sheffield said.